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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27820375">We Go Down Together (And Build Back Up Again)</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/saturdie/pseuds/saturdie'>saturdie</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Loved Ones (How They Hurt and Heal) [6]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Anxiety, Best Friends, Crying, Dadza, Dissociation, Face Punching, Fire References, Hurt/Comfort, Insane Wilbur Soot, Pain, Platonic Cuddling, Platonic Hand Holding, Platonic Soulmates, Promises, Protective Toby Smith | Tubbo, Silence, Tommy Dissociates, Trauma, Violence, Wilbur Soot Needs Help, clingyduo</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-04-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 18:15:52</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,234</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27820375</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/saturdie/pseuds/saturdie</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Tubbo's had enough of this shit. Nobody else is hurting Tommy, not if he has anything to do with it.</p><p> </p><p>- In other words, Tubbo's not weak. If he has to punch some assholes in the face, so be it.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Dave | Technoblade &amp; Toby Smith | Tubbo &amp; Wilbur Soot &amp; TommyInnit &amp; Phil Watson, Toby Smith | Tubbo &amp; TommyInnit, TommyInnit &amp; Phil Watson (Video Blogging RPF), Wilbur Soot &amp; TommyInnit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Loved Ones (How They Hurt and Heal) [6]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2017006</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>436</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Tonight We Fall</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The tentative harmony hadn't lasted long. Within a week, Wilbur was once again pushing Tommy's boundaries. The younger boy spent most of his time hiding away from Wilbur, sneaking around the house in order to avoid him. <br/>Of course, however, he was TommyInnit. And TommyInnit had absolutely shit luck, apparently.</p><p>Wilbur stood in front of him, a hand wrapped like a vice around Tommy's bony wrist. The pain made his eyes water, combined with the harsh words that tumbled from Wilbur's lips. They were quiet, deadly in their viciousness. The older man had cornered the blond in the livingroom, darkness hiding the two from the outside world. Phil and Techno had gone to bed hours earlier, leaving Tommy and Wilbur alone downstairs. </p><p>"Wil, please, let me go!" His words were rushed, slurring together. Between the physical pain in his wrist and the fierce panic boiling up inside him, Tommy's ability to defend himself was weak. He tugged again at his wrist, making Wilbur dig his nails in. The sharp pricks made him shout in pain.</p><p>Wilbur had fallen silent, chest heaving as he held Tommy. The silence made any noise seem deafening in its wake.</p><p>Any noise...including the approaching footsteps.<br/>The two whipped their heads around to spot the culprit, Tommy's arm still clutched in Wilbur's grasp.</p><p>Tubbo stood in the archway of the living room, mouth held open in a silent gasp. His eyes flickered between the other two, landing on Tommy's wrist.</p><p>"Tommy? What's...what's going on?" Although quiet, Tubbo's question demanded an answer. <br/>The blond opened his mouth, choking as he tried to speak. His fear bubbled to the surface, tears replacing any verbal response. Tubbo's eyes widened, hardening as they moved to Wilbur. The man stood silent, gaze locked on Tommy's face. His mouth was twisted, a cross between a smile and a grimace adorning his expression.</p><p>His head snapped up as Tubbo took a step toward them. He looked down, back at Tommy, and then up at Tubbo again. With an odd glint in his brown eyes, the eldest son squeezed the blond's wrist once more. </p><p>The resulting whimper made Tubbo shout, rushing forward. Wilbur's grip tightened the closer he got, but the teen was more determined to get Tommy away from the older man than anything else. </p><p>"Stop it! STOP IT!" Tubbo's chest was heaving as he yelled, anger rushing through him. He looked up at Wilbur, a man he'd once admired, and felt disgusted.<br/>"What the hell is wrong with you, Wilbur? Leave Tommy alone!" Without realizing it, he'd moved to shove the older man. His hands made contact with Wilbur's chest, pushing him back. The shock caused Wilbur to let go of the blond, who immediately scrambled to stand behind Tubbo, shaking as he hid from Wilbur's stare. </p><p>Wilbur's knee knocked into the coffee table that sat behind him, the noise causing Tommy to flinch. Tubbo glanced behind himself, locking eyes with Tommy before advancing toward Wilbur. </p><p>A flame was growing inside his chest. It burned like nothing else, the warmth driving him forward. His hands curled into fists as he stepped closer.</p><p>"Fuck you, Wilbur." The sound of Tubbo's fist making contact with the older man's face crackled through the air like lightning, and the satisfaction of watching Wilbur gasp and stumble back was a heady tinder to the anger inside him.</p><p>"Stay the fuck away from Tommy," He growled, fist pulled back for another strike. </p><p>A hand landed on his arm, a light tug breaking him from his focus. He glanced at the hand, following it up to the owner's face. Warm brown eyes met his gaze.</p><p>"Techno, let me go! He deserves this!" The teenager tugged at his arm, only causing the pink-haired man's grip to tighten. The man shook his head, bending down to speak.</p><p>"I know, Tubbo," He glanced behind him before facing Tubbo again. "But right now, Tommy needs you. Let me deal with Wilbur." </p><p> </p><p>The younger deflated, shrugging out of Techno's grip. He spun around, locking eyes on Tommy. The blond boy was huddled into Phil's chest, a blanket wrapped tightly around him. He was visibly shaking, making him appear so much smaller than he was. The sight made Tubbo's heart ache, pulling him toward the pair.</p><p>Phil murmured something to Tommy, hand moving to lightly tap the blanket. Tommy nodded, and the blanket was moved away from the two, creating an opening. The blond boy turned his head, nodding to Tubbo in invitation.</p><p>"Hey, Toms." The older boy spoke quietly, arms wrapped around Tommy's shaking form. Hands gripped his shirt, tugging Tubbo closer to his best friend. </p><p>Outside the blanket, Phil's arms squeezed the boys a bit before relaxing. He glanced toward his other sons. Techno stood with a boot against Wilbur's chest, holding him down. The pink-haired man made a shooing motion, indicating that he would deal with his older brother. Nodding, Phil focused back on the teens in his arms.</p><p>The father of three began to pull the boys away from the room, moving to go upstairs. The lack of response from the teens made him move quicker, helping the two navigate the stairs from beneath their blanket. He led the two into their room, leading them to their bed. </p><p>The covers were still unmade, allowing the teens to simply fall back into bed. As they got themselves settled, the boys traded whispers. A nod from both had Tubbo pulling the blanket down, revealing their heads. Their hair was messy from the blanket, tear tracks marking Tommy's face as well. </p><p>Tubbo sat up, a hand tucked securely in Tommy's to comfort him. The flame from before had died down, now just a familiar gentle flicker. Locking eyes with Phil, he spoke quietly, keeping his tone light. </p><p>"Thank you, Phil." The teen glanced down at Tommy before continuing. "Keep him away from us, from Tommy. Please."</p><p>Phil nodded, a similar flame rising in him. His boys looked so small and world-weary, a tiredness settled deep within them that no teenager should carry. <br/>"I promise, Tubbo," He stepped back, opening the door to leave. "Get some rest, boys. You're safe here, always will be." With that, the door closed, leaving the teens alone once more.</p><p> </p><p>The fire that burned in Tubbo twined itself into their covers. The warmth of his other half calmed Tommy, melting his own icy thoughts. Tubbo curled knowingly around the younger boy, tracing patterns into his back until Tommy's breathing evened out. </p><p>"You'll be okay, Toms, I promise." The words were barely a murmur, a promise muffled into blond curls. </p><p>Another promise.<br/>Another chance.</p><p>And yet somehow, to Tommy, this was the only one that really mattered.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Waiting For Summer To End</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Whoops! My hand slipped.</p><p>Sorry for the wait, classic "writer lost motivation after first chapter bc burnout" happened. But I have been having ideas for this story, its a constant thought at the back of my head lol.</p><p>So anyways, enjoy! Its a classic Salem Story (TM), so enjoy ur hurt/comfort clingyduo.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It's August now, apparently. Tubbo had told him this yesterday, or maybe today. He's not exactly sure what day it is. He also doesn't think it matters.</p><p>The sun is in his face, and it takes him far too long to tilt his head away from the light. The curtains were open, but he didn't know if that was new or not. He didn't really care, either. </p><p>The door creaks, and he knows that, before,  he would have immediately bolted to check the noise. Now? Now he remains still, eyes fixated on the ceiling above him. </p><p>The sound of someone moving into the room is loud like a twig snapping in the woods. Whoever it is closes the door behind them, stepping forward to seat themselves on the foot of the bed. </p><p>"Hey, Tommy." Tubbo's voice is soft, and it makes the blond startle a bit. The older boy sets his hand down on Tommy's shoulder, a sigh escaping with the movement. </p><p>His mouth moves, words forming and dying in the same moment. He seems to struggle with himself before finally tipping his head down. Another sigh, heavier and more choked, escapes. With a shake of his head, Tubbo looks back up at Tommy's face.</p><p>"I miss you. I miss you so much I feel sick sometimes. And I know, I know it's been rough, and I know you're struggling so damn hard right now, but...," The words seem to flow out of Tubbo's mouth like he'll choke if they stay inside any longer. He's breathing heavily, upper body tilted closer to Tommy's own. He shakes his head again, wiping at his eyes briefly before continuing. "But please, Tommy. Please try. Everything fucking sucks without you."</p><p>The room goes silent again, and they sit in silence as time stretches and morphs itself around them. Inside, Tommy is coming together like a collage. His carefully held together psyche had shattered like the bones in his wrist, crushed under Wilbur's hands. The cast is gone now, a memory tainted and left behind. But here is his mental cast. Here is his Tubbo, his other half, the person willing to stand by him as long as they exist. </p><p>And hearing him plead for him to simply try? To try and exist again?</p><p>Moving to hold Tubbo's hand is the easiest thing he's done in months. His grip must be abysmal, weak and unsteady. Facing him is harder, the muscles in his neck tight with disuse. </p><p>Tubbo is frozen above him, left hand suspended in the air above Tommy. It hangs mid-reach like Tubbo had switched places with Tommy, the older now lost to the swirling mass of thoughts and the stained glass mosaic of reality that had been Tommy's summer. </p><p>And then Tubbo lurches forward, hands clutching Tommy as close as he can. His eyes are wild, flickering around the younger's face as he holds him. Tommy doesn't know what he's looking for, but this time he feels like it probably matters. </p><p>And despite the fact that Tubbo holds Tommy close every night, the brunette feels like it'd kill him to let go.</p><p> </p><p>------</p><p><br/>
When Phil had told Tubbo that Tommy would need time to heal, that his mind had closed itself off to deal with the trauma, he hadn't expected this.</p><p>'This' being Tommy, dead silent and unmoving in their bed. As the last week of June passed by, Phil had spent every day sitting with Tommy, softly telling him of the world around him. The blond never moved, eyes blurry and unseeing. <br/>
And as time passed, as June turned into July, Phil slowly began to realize that Tommy was beyond soft words and gentle help. He'd called in doctors of all sorts, all leaving behind the same diagnosis.</p><p>Tommy had completely dissociated - his brain forcing him away from reality in order to sort itself out. The trauma had finally caught up to him, and there wasn't much they could do besides wait. </p><p>So Tubbo waited. He would spend his days working, whether it be with Phil to care for Tommy or with Techno out on the farm. At night, he would crawl into bed next to Tommy and tell him about his day, no matter how mundane. It was odd, at first, to finish a story without interruptions and laughter. The silence unnerved him. </p><p>As July passed, the silence grew normal. Uncomfortable and heavy, but normal. Tommy was still silent, despite the weeks that had passed. <br/>
Still stationary, still quiet.</p><p>The end of July was no different than the beginning, in his opinion. Tommy was still out of it, the farm still grew far too many potatoes, and Phil still kept telling him to wait. So he talked louder, he farmed potatoes. He waited. All they could do was wait.</p><p> </p><p>The sun was bright that day. August was in full swing, and the summer heat was saturating the air. He'd left the curtains open the past few days, hoping to get Tommy some sunlight.</p><p>Lunch had been an affair, with fresh news from Phil about Wilbur. It'd made Tubbo nervous to hear, but the knowledge that Wilbur was finally receptive to the help he was getting was relieving. Still, the mention of the man had sent Tubbo straight back up to their bedroom. </p><p>The door had provided a place for him to slump against as he collected his thoughts. The news had been good, but all it had made him think about was Tommy. </p><p>He missed the younger boy so much - he was right there, lying in their bed, and yet so far away. The 'waiting' was killing him, tearing him apart. </p><p>And the news that Wilbur - the person who caused this pain - was getting help, was getting better? It made him feel the pain of the wait all over again. Made his chest erupt into flames at the thought that Tommy was still broken into a million pieces, and there was nothing he could do. </p><p>So he slid down the door and cried. <br/>
He cried for his other half, cried for himself, cried for the broken family he once knew. </p><p>And when the sobs finally settled, and the flames died down enough for him to breathe, he pulled himself back together and stood on shaky legs.</p><p><br/>
It was August, and the sun was shining. </p><p>And the curtains were open, but he knew it wasn't a new thing. </p><p>And Tommy was in the bed, like always.</p><p><br/>
And yet when Tubbo finally held Tommy again, it was all different. Because there was a hand holding his, and Tommy was looking at him, and the sun was shining.</p><p> </p><p>The sun was shining, and it was August, and they were together.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>come get ur angst!! btw, this is Wilbur's redemption arc, so it will definitely have many more chapters to come and lots of hurt/comfort. this is Tommy's final barrier before he's able to finally heal, and it's not easy.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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